VP stresses on equipping youth with required skills

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Friday said the demographic advantage that India has would yield complete dividends only if the youth are equipped withthe required skills and attitude.

"We are a young India with nearly 65 per cent of our population being less than 35 years of age... Youth represents the energy that will drive India of the future," Naidu said.

Delivering the valedictory address at the "World Youth Meet" here, he said their knowledge and imagination, competence andconfidence, their risk-taking ability and multi-taskingability, their agility and adaptability would change the course of India's development.

"The demographic advantage that we today will yield complete dividends only if youth are equipped with the required skills and attitude, with the knowledge and wisdom," the Vice President said.

"I earnestly hope that our educational system... will provide a good foundation for the youth," he added.

Naidu, during his speech paid tributes to SriSatya Sai Baba and Guru Nanak on their birth anniversary,calling them "leading lights" of Indian spiritual heritage,who had shown humanity the path of devotion and service.

The Vice President expressed hope that the youth of India would also continue to aim high and strive hard, be rooted in the Indian ethos, but be willing to learn from the best in the world.

"Setting high benchmarks requires courage. Achieving them requires competence. I do hope you will have both," he said.

Pointing out that the government was devising effective policies and programmes, Naidu said the massive effort required for transformation would be possible only with the active participation of the civil society, the private sector and the academic and charitable organisations.